Voting machine



March 7 1950 s U 24%,978

VOTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l 8 E L E DEMOCFFHT REPUBLICAN /39 5a @0 UNITED STATES SENHTOP JOHN DOE WM. SMITH J REPRESENTATIVE i i JOE BROWN JOHN Anams :3 6mm? I QMWOP F? 5 I: saw 0F Sm j R. F. SHOUP VOTING MACHINE March 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 20, 1947 IIA'IIIIIIIII INVENTOR. mm a Patented Mar. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VOTING MACHINE Ransom F. Shoup, Ardmore, Pa., assignor to The Shoup Voting Machine Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application August 20, 1947, Serial No. 769,719

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to voting machines and more particularly to voting machines of the type disclosed in Shoup Patent No. 2,054,102.

In this type of voting machine, there are several vertical columns of voting spindles in combination with an interlock arranged normally to prevent actuation of more than one spindle in any horizontal row. Also, for each horizontal row of spindles there is a slot through which a personal choice may be written in, such slot being normally closed by a slide termed the personal choice slide. Each personal choice slide is connected to the interlock in such manner that opening of the personal choice slide prevents actuation of any of the spindles in the corresponding row, until after the machine has completed its vote-registering operation. Thus, if a voter actuates a personal choice slide and limits himself to a personal choice vote, he cannot vote for the regular nominee of any party except by writing in the name of such nominee as a personal choice vote. Heretofore, in this type of voting machine, it has been possible for a voter inadvertently to actuate a personal choice slide, thus depriving him of the right to actuate any of the spindles in the horizontal row of spindles corresponding to the actuated personal choice slide.

An object of this invention is a voter-releasable latch for the personal choice slides of such nature that the voter must release the latch before he can actuate any personal choice slide, thereby preventing the voter from inadvertently limiting himself to a personal choice vote for any particular ofiice.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

1 is a fragmentary elevation of a Shoup tyne voting machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partially broken away fragmentary view similar to Fig. l;

3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. (l is a section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

In general, the reference characters used herein correspond as far as practical to the reference characters used in Shou'o et al. Patent 2,05%,102 and Shoup Patent 2277,85'7.

Columns of spindles 38 are journalled at one end in vertical members 40, each spindle being equipped with an operating handle 30. A plate 39 supports columns of counters C associated with the spindles 38 and the structure of each counter as well as the means for actuating the counter by the spindle is preferably the same as is disclosed in Shoup Patent 2,140,336. An interlock for the spindles comprises horizontal interlock straps 6| passing in pairs between pairs of interlock members 62 supported in longitudinal grooves in the inner faces of vertical channel member 42. Certain of the interlock members 62 are tubular and headed pins 63 extend through them and passages in the channel member to lock the tubular interlock members in fixed relation. Each interlock strap 6! is equipped at one end with an enlarged head or wedge 64 and each spindle 38 is equipped with a pair of arms 59 and 59' between which extends a pin 5% connected to an interlock strap 6|.

In Fig. 5 is disclosed the spindle locking and restoring frame consisting of horizontal bars 65 connected by vertical channel straps 66 having cut-out portions providing rungs 6'! arranged to engage the arms 59. The bars 65 are provided with a interconnecting track member 6522 which engages rollers 65a carried by a vertical bar 68 supported for combined vertical and horizontal movement.

The bar 58 and the locking and restoring frame are shown in Fig. 5 in spindle-locking position. Horizontal movement of the bar 68 to the left from its Fig. 5 position releases the spindle locking and restoring frame for movement to the left into spindle-unlocking position return movement of the bar 88 to its Fig. 5 position effects return of the s indle locking and restoring frame to spindle-locking position all as fully disclosed in .S'houp, et al. Patent No. 2.054.102.

In the plate 39 is provided a vertical column of personal choice slots I39 with a closure slide Hill for each slot. In back of the slots H8 is a uide Ml over which passes a strip of paper 142 from a feed roller M3 to a take-up roller (not shown). A ,voke I50 pivotallv supported on a rod 1553a is rotated counterclockwise from the position shown in Fig. 5 by movement of any slide M0 to open position and is returned to such position by mechanism (not shown) to advance the strip 142 a predetermined distance for each actuation of the yoke, 'all as disclosed in Shoup, et al. Patent 2,054,102.

A vertical plate Hits of the shape shown in Fig. 5 is provided with a vertical series of apertures constituting guideways for links it! which, at one end, are attached to arms its pivotally supported by the rod llica. Each link it! is pro" vided with a pin filo. connected to an interlock strap El and each arm lot is provided with a head lfifia directed approximately perpendicular to the arm I66 in position to be engaged by a vertical plate 29! supported by the vertical bar 68. Each head lfiila projects into a channelshaped runner 222 slotted at 222a and having a right-angle extension attached to a plate 223 slidably supported by the plate 39 in alinement with a closure slide I40. Movement of any closure slide Mil from slot-closing position as shown in Fig. 5 to the left to slot-open position effects corresponding movement to the left of a plate 223 and through engagement of the runner 222 with the head ililia counterclockwise swinging movement of the arm lfilliisteffected from its Fig. 5 position to actuate the corresponding link lEl and the interlock strap 6i connected thereto.

Return movement of the closure slide I40 by the voter to slot-closing position has no effect. on the plate 223.

In the plate 39 is provided a slot 4E5 through which projects one-arm ms of'a bell crank-lever 4ll. A bracket 4E8 attached to the inner face of the plate 39 pivotally' supports the bell crank lever All through themedium of a vertical pivot pin 4 l 9. As shown in Fig. 5, the arm 4% of the bell crank lever Ml projects across the inner face of the yoke 550 when the yoke is in its unactuated position, and is formed with a recess 42!. In Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the yoke'is assumed to be in its actuated position and so is not shown. Also, the end of the arm 428' is formed with an oblique surface 422. The recess 42l has straight parallel walls 423 and 424 spaced apart at a slightly greater distance than the width of the yoke I59 which the reces-sis adapted to receive. The wall Q24 terminates in an inwardly projecting knob 425. A spring 426' normally biases the bell crank lever 4H clockwise.

With the voting'machine in curtain-open position, the bell crank leveror latch d't'i is in the position shown in Fig. 5 with the yoke i513 received in the recess 4% andthe closure slides 140 are locked in slot-closing position by engagement of the heads i690, of the arms ltfi'with the plate 20!. Upon movement of the machine into curtain-closed position, theplate 243'! is moved to the left out of engagement with the heads ltilia so that it no longer holds the closures i' iii in slotclosing position. The closures Mil, however, are still held in slot-closing position due to the fact that the yoke I556 is held againstm'ovement by the latch 4M and'in this condition, no one of the personal choice slots can be opened. However, if a voter wishes to vote a personal choice, he pushes the arm 4160f thelatch Ml to swing it counterclockwise (Fig. 5') thus moving the wall 423 out of the'path of the yoke let. Also, such movement of the latch causes the knob 425 to en gage the yoke lfili'to -swingit counterclockwise a sufficient distance that its front edge overlaps thewallfiiZ-t so that the latch 4 ll cannot returnto yoke-engaging position. Such movement of the yoke ltic'does not, however, in any way-produce any movement of any closure Mll-butit does prevent the-spring, 426 fromreturning the'yoke to locked conditioniuponreleaseof thelatch by the voter. After releaseroftheyoke 558 as abovedescribed, the voter may actuate any ofthe personal choice slot closure slides I40 in the usual manner. Upon return of the machine to curtainopen condition, the yoke I50 is returned to its original position and during its return movement engages the oblique surface 422 of the arm 42!) of the latch 4!! to rotate the latch counterclockwise, thereby permittingthe yoke Hill to be again received in the recess 42 I.

I claim:

1. In a voting machine, a plate having a slot, a plurality of personal choice slides, a pivoted yoke'movable by any slide upon movement thereof from a closed to an open position, a bracket supportedby said plate, a two-armed bell crank lever, a pivot securing said lever rotatively to said bracket with one arm extending through said'slot for manipulation by a Voter, the other armof said lever having a recess to receive said yoke, said recess having straight parallel spaced- .apart walls, one of said wallsproviding a shoulder for engagement with saidyoke in a normal position of said leverto retain the yokein a-locked position to prevent movement of any slide from its closed to its open position, and a projection on said lever adjacent the other of. said parallel walls, said projection acting upon rotation of said lever about said pivot out of the normal position of. said lever to engage said yoke-and to push said yoke out ofiposition to be engaged by said shoulder, thereby then freeing said yoke for movement by any of said slides.

2. In a. voting machine, a plate having a slot, a plurality of personal choice slides, a pivoted yoke movable from a normal position by any slide upon movement thereoffrom a'closed to an open position, a bracket secured to saidplate, a twoarmed bell crank lever, a pivotsecuring-said'lever rotatively to said bracket with one'arm of said lever extending outwardly through said slot in said plate for rotative manipulation of 'saidlever by a voter, the second arm of said lever having a recess to receive. said yoke in the normalposition of the. latter, said recess having spaced-apart parallel walls, a spring biasing said lever so that in the said normal position of said yoke it lies in said recess of said second arm, one of said spaced-apart walls of said recess then acting to lock said yoke in its said normal position, a projection on said lever adjacent the other of said spaced-apart. parallel walls, said projection acting upon. rotative manipulation of said lever about said pivot by a voter in a direction counter to the biasing action of said spring to engage said yoke and to push the latter out of position to be engaged by said shoulder, thereby freeing said yoke for movement by any of said slides.

RANSOM F. SHOUP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNTIED STATES PATENTS Numberv Name Date 1,278,049 Smith Sept. 3, 1918 1,337,513 Hal'deman Apr. 20, 1920 

